Rails
by Everlane
Summary: Santana finds a journal.


**Author's Note**

This is slightly AU. I'm still trying to finish other pieces for continuation, but it's just that this writer's block is killing me. I literally have them written, but it's just how to finish them well, which isn't always successful. Anyways, sit back and enjoy. I don't own the show by the way.

* * *

**Rails**

Rusted edges of the rail lay wet against her palms. She held on, shuddering against gusts of wind against her bare back, feet deep within inches of snow.

She figured that the cold lake would kill her soon enough. She hesitated, but it was like her heart and body weren't one. Inside she was screaming at herself not to do it, but she swiftly stepped on the other side, hands still braced over rails as she began to let herself go.

Her car blasted one of her cherished songs, trees whistled against the howling storm. Leaves have fallen, dried, and faded months earlier, now buried under snow. No cars were parked on Lover's Lane except her own. It was still early, and most love birds came only at night.

Her mind wavered as it did again. Her feet almost slipped on the iced edge, but she braced herself. Only her fingers held on, her weight pulling them from the rail. A wave of nausea clenched her stomach, turning into a sickening feel of knots crawling and tightening inside. She has to vomit, but she kept her lips pursed.

The song is not Streisand, but she liked to sing it. She hummed the tune, brown eyes still fixated over the tiny film of ice with the whirling dark lake waiting for her underneath. _Old friend, why are you so shy? It ain't like you to hold back, or hide from the light. _

As she hummed, lost in the music, she didn't hear the heavy crunches from afar. The shouts of her name. She still hummed when the voice became louder. She was jolted awake when buff arms clasped her waist. She gasped, as if she submerged from the abyss itself. It all came back, the shame, and the hurt. It all swarmed around her, engulfing her in it's dark embrace. And again, she was at it's mercy.

She sobs in the car with her father's arms around her. Somehow, he managed to pull her body over the rail despite her protests. Her cries were mostly quiet, as if she wanted to hold the tears in. As he threw a thick blanket around her, she let out a choking sob. He read her letter.

Hiram's lips are against her temple. "_Ssh._ Rachel it's alright." His voice shuddered, but it was calm and quiet, just like it used to be when she was young and would cry because of bullies. The thought made her cry more.

"I'm so sorry..."

He hushed her again, "It's not your fault." He takes another breath, sounding a bit more heavy and overwhelmed. "We'll go home and get something to eat. I'll make your favorite. Then you'll get a nice sleep, and we'll figure something out tomorrow. No one's worth dying for, Rachel."

She couldn't do anything else but nod.

* * *

In Greenwich Heights, there was a hill that led up to a small neighborhood cradled by a crescent of deep woods with bushes that lead down to the rest of Lima.

Sometimes, her daddy drove through the place to the last mansion in the cul-de-sac at the end of Williams Terrace to fix Mr. Jonesey's plumbing. Others times, he went to the other houses. She always stared at the nice looking houses, and would sometimes wish she could be in there with both her daddies.

But it wasn't possible. Her dad was dead, so her daddy was the only one who took care of her. They lived in a trailer park, living on welfare and food stamps mostly because the money her daddy made had to go mostly to bills and her college.

She wasn't pretty like the girls in Greenwich Heights, and there wasn't anything about her that was special. Lots of people told her that, and it didn't matter that her daddy said otherwise. It was just so hard to believe him alone, compared to so many others that thought differently. At McKinley High, she was this loser who wore old skirts with animal sweaters she gets from thrift stores. She was no beauty, and everyone reminded her of that any chance they got.

She wiped the remaining slushie off her sweater. The back of her eyes burned, but she let no tears fall. She took another napkin to wipe some of the juice of her lips, liking the grape. The door swung open, and she quickly avoided the gazes of the three girls that entered the bathroom. She knew that Quinn was here, and was back to her old self, no longer the sweet girl she grew to love over the summer.

As soon as her eyes fell on her, Quinn gave her best friend, Santana a knowing smirk, before she said, "Well, well, look who's here. Is it Ru-Paul or Man-Hands? What do you think, Santana?"

Santana pushed Rachel's bag off the sink, flanking Rache's side while the contents in the bag toppled all over the floor. "I think she's probably needs to go back to Israel."

Quinn scoffed, "You think she's from Israel."

"Yeah, but definitely not one of the good looking girls. More like those mutts from one of those loser towns there." Santana said, dark eyes boring into Rachel's side. "You know, the slums?"

Brittany's eyes brightened, and she asked, "Doesn't she live in the slums now?"

"Of course, who would've thought." Quinn said, rushing over to the girl's other side. "She does live in the slums. What do you call them here, Man-Hands, trailer parks?"

Rachel bent down to push all her stuff back inside her bag. She pulled the door open, and ran off before the laughter of the cheerios grew louder. When it was time for them to go to class, Santana decided to stay a bit longer for her make up. Just when she was about to leave, she noticed something.

A small leather bound journal laid on the floor. She picked it up, rolling her eyes at the name on the first page. Leave it to Berry to be fucking dramatic. For some reason, she didn't want to read the book, but she held it under her arm as she walked out of the bathroom.

* * *

"Hey Brit,"

Brittany looked up, "What?"

Santana was about to express her worries, but then sighed, "It's nothing. Nothing at all."

Brittany nodded, then smiled, her baby blues tracing her friend's jaw. The sun glared through their window, warming their nude bodies underneath thin sheets on the bed.

They just won the competition in Miami, putting them on the chart for America's best cheerleading squads. They were practically like celebrities now, but it was only a matter of time before their fifteen minutes of fame faded. No matter, they still were rich and popular.

On the dresser nearby, Adele sung _Make You Feel My Love_, and it made her look down at Brittany, who looked back just as thoughtfully. She didn't like Brittany like that, but she loved her as her best friend. She was probably her only friend in this shit hole of a town. "You have a class with hobbit, right?"

Brittany paused, then nodded, "Art History."

Santana's mind riddled with what she just read in the book hidden in her closet. She wasn't sure about what to do with what she just learned from the book. She sat up, closing her eyes to the heat of the sun shining through the window. "Brit. I need to tell you something."

"What?"

She hesitated, but the next words came right out without restraint, "Quinn was screwing hobbit."

It always took a bit of time for Brittany to grasp things, but this time, she shot up as soon as Santana spoke, eyes wide. "That is like the most weirdest thing ever. How can Quinn screw Rachel, doesn't she need a screwdriver?"

Santana rolled her eyes, shifting to share Brittany's gaze. She held the girl's arms. "No, Brit, I mean...I mean Rachel was dating Quinn. Then Quinn..."

"Oh. What're you gonna do?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Santana asked, brows deeply furrowed. "This isn't my damn business. All I'm going to do is put the book back where it was and hope to God that Berry uses her brain to remember where she left it."

She sighed, "Then, I'm gonna forget the fact that my best friend who's a churchgoing bitch is gay and forget she even had a secret thing with hobbit. That's exactly what I'm gonna do."

* * *

_I'm Cathy. I found your journal in the bathroom. You had your number inside. I didn't read anything, and I just wanted to give it back to you. Where should I put it for you to find?_

Rachel frowned at her phone, looking around to see if anyone in the hallway might be this Cathy. She only saw Santana with her friends, typing away on her own phone. She looked back at hers, texting back at this so called Cathy. _The bathroom would be nice. Thank you so much. _There was no response.

She ignored the fact that Santana was inside the bathroom, arms folded as she stood near the sink. She looked around for the little book she forgot, hoping that the cheerio didn't get her hands on it. "Wow, Berry, I was hoping you would figure it out when you saw me here."

Rachel's heart stopped, her voice shuddering, "You read my journal...please don't tell anyone about what I wrote. That's my business and not yours."

"As if I'd read your stup-"

Rachel boldly walked forward to grab the journal from Santana. The force of her tugging the object was so strong, that Santana felt the vast distance, the mistrust. For a moment, words are unable to form as Rachel shoved the journal inside her bag.

But when she gained the strength, she said, "I didn't know that you were going to kill yourself." Rachel froze, but she closed her bag, refusing to look into Santana's eyes before she walked out of the bathroom.

* * *

When Hiram came over to her place to fix the plumbing, she no longer saw Rachel's loser of a dad. Santana was a bitch, but she wasn't heartless. Rachel hasn't been with her dad out on his runs since the first time they met. And she couldn't blame her. Their first time wasn't so good, because when Rachel tried to play with her, she told Rachel that she didn't do poor kids. She guessed that's how all the bullying started, the moment when most of those neighbors in Greenwich Heights realized she was the plumber's kid.

Santana sat in the living area, watching the back of the plumber in the kitchen. She couldn't help but feel a sense of relief, that this man managed to track down his daughter in Lover's Lane just in time before she jumped in the icy abyss of the lake.

"So is this the only thing you do for a living?" she asked, leaning back from the plumber to turn just to look at her. Her parents were out, and wanted her to stay a little bit to supervise Hiram before she went off to go see Brittany. "I mean. You're like all over the place, so I'm just wondering."

She's never really spoken to Hiram. She was more like the bitch who was messing with his daughter, but never looked like she cared to know whether he knew or not. But Hiram never seemed like he knew much about what was going on, which made Santana feel worse, because she honestly felt that Berry probably whined to her daddy on a daily basis.

The man took a breath, and wiped his forehead with his arm, "Uh, not quite. I'm afraid this is my only job." He said this with a smile that wasn't too big, and not too small either. She nodded with one of her own, but he turned back to his work. "But probably not for long though."

"How come?"

"Uh..." He pulled back again, taking another breath. She then scrambled up to rush into the kitchen and fetch a bottle of water for him. He took it with a murmur of gratitude, taking a large gulp, before saying, "...we have a bit of family issues. So we might be moving out of here to a friend's place in Boston. I'm not sure how long, but I don't think we'll ever be back here."

"Your daughter's going too, right?"

His brows rose in confusion, probably wondering how she knew about his daughter until he looked like he remembered Rachel being here as a kid, "Oh. Rachel. She's coming of course, since she plans to take a year off before going to college."

"I go to class with her." she said, arms folding. "She's really smart."

Hiram laughed, nodding vigorously, as if just the mention of his daughter's name lit up his world. If only her own father looked like that whenever he spoke of her. All the money couldn't even come close to feeling loved by your family.

"I get that a lot from her. She's always on top of things, you know? Makes sure everything is set when I go to work or get home. Whenever we go out for worship, she's probably the only kid in there who takes the teachings seriously. Most times I get sad when I know she'll head off on her own."

She nodded, watching him return back to his work. "She must mean a lot to you,"

He nodded, "Oh yeah. You know, she had another dad before I came around. I was a mess of an eighteen year old, so he took care of her when her mother didn't want anything to do with her..." Hiram continued to test the pipes under the sink, his voice sounding very low. "...he died in a car accident. Whether the driver meant it or it, the court or police didn't really care. So I came back...quit drugs and alcohol. I took her before foster care got a hold of her."

"...that's a good thing you did."

He hummed, "She kinda made it easier, because she's a neat freak. She makes sure things are in order. Tell you this. When she was five, she used to take out all the alcohol I had in store. And she knew I couldn't get angry at her."

She laughed, getting a can of soda while she listened with great interest to Hiram tell all. When she headed over to Brittany's that afternoon after he left, she couldn't help but feel regret. Even if it was Quinn that made Rachel attempt to kill herself, she still thought that she was just as guilty, calling the girl names like that.

* * *

In the remaining year before summer arrived, Santana didn't call Rachel any names or took part of the bullying. She was mostly a bystander in the first few months, and all she could do was not give a shit or slip in a bunch of napkins or some of her extra tops for Rachel to wear in case the slushies became too unbearable.

She started slipping the girl notes. Not friendly shit, but like notes that were more unnecessary, and more like an attempt to make the girl say something. She'd say stuff on it likehow Mr. Schuester was so lame or ask the girl if she had a sheet of paper. Random stuff like that. For the most part, Rachel looked like she didn't know how to act around this odd behavior, but nevertheless, she was always giving.

Santana started to like her more and more because even though she wasn't talking to the girl much, Rachel still had the heart to slip her sheets of paper, or in other cases, some answers to difficult questions on tests. Sometimes when she found some lessons in Algebra difficult, all it took was a small question to get Rachel to retell every part of the teacher's lecture. When the girl did this one afternoon, staying with her for an hour to help her finish her homework, Santana decided that she desperately wanted this girl's friendship.

She shoved herself through the crowd, stopping when she found her target. Quinn stood a few feet away, trying to get her locker opened. She knew that this wasn't her business, and she should probably focus on other things instead of the affair Rachel had with Quinn, but she couldn't help but feel more irked.

"Hey Q."

She called her name again with a bark, jolting Quinn alert. The blonde's eyes were ringed with dark bags, but that was Quinn. She's always been this pitiful looking. A girl with baggage.

"Did you see where hobbit went to? And what's up with you. You look a hot mess." She let her eyes roam over the blonde's uniform, which seemed perfect except for her face.

Quinn narrowed her eyes, "I don't know where she is. And why the hell would you want to know? Now, if you'll excuse me." She bumped against Santana, leaving her very suspicious as she slipped inside the crowd of cheerios preparing for their trip to another competition within Ohio.

Two days later, when Santana went to pick up Brittany from her last class to go home, she saw Rachel slip out the classroom first. She quickly told Brittany, who came right out, to wait, before she rushed down to tap Rachel's shoulder.

As soon as her fingers brush milky skin, she jumps back when Rachel gasps loudly. Books tumble over marbled floor. The girl went on her knees, one hand clutching her chest while the other stacked her books. Santana was quick to carry those for her, trying to share her gaze, when the other girl didn't do the same. She gave her the books, noting the redness in the girl's eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asked, hands atop the girl's own over her chest. Students in the hallways passing by look curiously, but none stop. She lowered her voice, not caring if she sounded retarded with her next choice of words, "Brit and I are going to my place. Do you want to come and chill with us?"

Rachel covered her hand and clutched it. She meant to pull it away, but Santana became alarmed when tears fell over her wrist. She hushed her, oblivious to Brittany coming near. "Do you wanna go to the bathroom?"

"Please..."

Santana looked up to see Brittany, who looked like she was about to tear up as well. "You know what? Come over to my place." she says, lips so close to the girl's ear.

Rachel shook her head, "No. I can't. My dad is expecting me to be home by five. I can't come over to your place."

Santana knew she was lying, but didn't pressure her, "We'll use the bathroom then."

She ignored Rachel's silent protest. Cool water trails over her hands as she wets a napkin. Rachel was like a little girl sitting over the toilet, sniffing, her face red and cheeks flushed. Brittany calmed her down, softly saying nonsensical things that made the girl laugh a little. Santana takes the napkin and tilts Rachel's chin, placing the tissue over her eyes.

"Keep them open." she said. "It makes your eyes less swollen."

The doors open, and again, Santana narrowed her eyes when Quinn entered. The blonde didn't seem to notice them at first, but one look at Rachel with the other cheerios had her immediately making a turn back out. It was too late though. Rachel already saw her running.

"Quinn..." Rachel called, but the blonde didn't bother looking back. She went after her in the hallway, rushing over to the blonde until she put her hand on her shoulder. "...I need to speak to you."

Santana was out with Brittany. The few students in the hallway turned to watch, and some doors to classrooms opened, with a few more students looking on. Quinn snatched Rachel's hands away, but the girl continued to cling to the blonde, who was looking infuriated. "Don't put your hands on me."

"That's nice for you to say that, given what happened last year."

Quinn shoved Rachel backwards, who almost fell but was held back by Santana. The blonde seemed stunned, her eyes reddened. But she regained control, and stepped back, saying this before running off, "Go fuck yourself, Ru-Paul."

When Quinn left, disappearing inside the crowd, Rachel disentangled herself . There was a look of defeat on her face, but she gave Santana the most gorgeous smile she had ever seen. She smelled of roses, her scent wafting off. "Thank you for the napkins, Santana."

"Your...your welcome."

* * *

Her friend transformed the next day. It wasn't like she had a complete makeover or something like that, but it was like a switch inside went up, and her friend became a complete different person.

Quiet confidence oozed from Rachel, and most in the school picked up from it. Rachel clearly told everyone without opening her mouth that she could care less about what they thought or said about her, because in the end, she only needed herself to gain acceptance.

So Rachel went off the radar. She wasn't popular, it was just that most decided to ignore her now and look for someone else to bully.

Rachel joined this glee club Mr. Schuester started, actively finding members who had talent. Santana was quick to help her friend with her bake sales, car washes, but was still reluctant when it came to joining the glee club.

She could tell that Rachel really wanted her to join, since the girl once heard her hum a song in her car when she drove her home. But if she joined, not only would Sylvester flip out but she'd get a slushie bath of her own, which was something she didn't want to deal with.

"Got a cigarette?"

Santana looked up, smoked trailing from her mouth before she looked away. She really didn't need Quinn hovering around her now, her days smoking with her were over. "Not for you."

The blonde nodded, but sat next to Santana on the stairs lead up to the back for the gym, "Look. I know you won't tell anyone. You haven't this far." Santana rolled her eyes, but the blonde never saw it since her head was turned away.

"It's not like I hate her...I do want to be with her."

In another time, maybe she would have helped her friend as much as she could. But Quinn wasn't the only person who wanted Rachel, lots of people did. People who weren't as dumb as Quinn...like her maybe. "Well, good luck with that."

"You're not gonna help out?"

"Quinn, this shit really isn't my business," she said, turning to look her former friend. "I mean all I did was read her journal when I knew I wasn't supposed to. You guys dated like for the whole summer, and you being you, completely wasted her time and screwed her over. Then she tried to kill herself..."

"Wh-what?"

Santana threw her cigarette on the ground, squishing it with her foot. She left Quinn there, looking after her as she hopped into her Caravan and drove off, not caring to go to her last class before school was over. She came back at 3:05pm, just in time to see Brittany and Rachel saunter down the steps. She honked her horn, and couldn't help but cast them a small smile as they walked over to her.

Once Rachel got in, she said, "How do I sign up for you club?"

* * *

Rachel managed to figure out that the unknown text from Cathy was actually one from Santana, so she just had to look for the number and began texting. Santana was deep in thought, oblivious to those walking around in the gym while they all waited for their coach.

School was over, and practice was about to start. Her sneakers tapped impatiently on the floor, waiting for her friend's reply. Only her coach had to be the one to schedule a practice session the day before the weekend. She could have chilled with her friends at her place.

_Practice session on a Friday?! Even I wouldn't do that. _Santana laughed a little, texting a reply back.

Santana paused, welcoming the flutter in her chest. An idea sparked up, but she wasn't sure if she even had the time to rush over to her friend's place. _Slumber party? My parents are out of state for the weekend._

Sylvester could kiss her ass for now. She never noticed Quinn glaring at her from afar, as she quietly left the gym that day.

May was toasty when it arrived, Rachel liked the sun shinning through her window as she opened her eyes. She smiled to herself, smelling stir fried vegetables and eggs coming from the kitchen side of the trailer. She just received her acceptance letters yesterday, jumping for joy when she got into Cornell University, even if she couldn't afford it.

She knew that her daddy would do whatever it took for her to go to a good school, but she wanted to give her daddy a good life, and if she had a school that would cover her finances and make it easier for her to go there, she would go for it instead. Even if it was in the same state she lived in.

Her passions were the arts and music, but her most important love was her father, so she studied a lot about health because she knew the field offered financial stability. And she loved to help people, and wished to help her father with his health insurance, which made studying to go into healthcare better.

Her father didn't know why she wanted to go into healthcare, and she'd rather not tell him, because she knew he would protest against that. "Breakfast is ready, come get it 'fore I eat it all."

She walked into the kitchen, taking the mug of coffee her father had prepared for her. Just as he did each morning since she was three, he hugged her and kissed her temple, whispering a good morning. "Had a good sleep?"

She nodded. As they both ate their breakfast, they watched the CNN news on their small television seated on the linoleum counter top of the kitchen. Rachel washed the dishes after they finished their food, deep in thought as the water ran over her hands. While her dad commented on the hurricane that tore through the tri-state area, a figure caught her eye.

As water poured over her hands, her eyes widened when she recognized the blonde walked towards her home. Hiram was the first to reach the door when the bell rang. She waited, turned off the tap, and hear the fired set of words that came out of his mouth. "No. My daughter isn't here, so why don't you go back home, all right?"

"Mr. Berry, I understand you probably don't want your daughter to see me-"

Rachel was already by her father's side. "Dad, I'll take it from here."

"You sure?" he asked.

She nodded, glad that he decided to step back and go back inside the living area. She wrapped her robe tightly around her, arms folded as she quietly asked, "What do you want?"

Quinn was a beautiful as ever in her tracksuit, with her blond hair pinned up and face done. It looked like she was going on another trip for her team this Saturday, or maybe she came back from one. She licked her lips, hazel eyes nervously set on Rachel, whose eyes were away from them. "I can't come in? Just for old time's sake?"

"No."

"...I'm sorry about the way-"

"Quinn, there's no point in saying that you're sorry or you want for us to be together again." Rachel said, her words biting as they came. "As much as I still love you, and as much as I want so much to be with you, I know that this will never happen between us. I know that your family won't like it, and you would be ostracized from your community."

Quinn said nothing, so she continued, "Quinn, you value those things above me. I don't hold you accountable for it, because I understand what you have to lose." Tears trail down her cheeks. "But I cannot and will never be part of your best kept secret. If you want to hide yourself do so without wasting my time." She tried to close the door, but the blonde swiftly held it back, eyes shining with grief.

"This is about Santana, right?"

Rachel frowned, not believing her ears, "I can't believe you. Santana does not feel that way about me. She is just a very good friend who has been there when you weren't, so don't make irrational judgments about people you have no idea about."

The blonde didn't respond, but kept her eyes on Rachel, forcing her back to those times where Rachel tried so many times to leave this girl, who kept on pulling her back and punishing her at the same time. It seemed as though she was trying to fight against forcing herself in, but the blonde slowly pushed the door back, walking inside until she was just a few inches away.

"Quinn, please go home."

She didn't listen but dove in, capturing the brunette's lips. An old flame flickered dangerously, and Rachel tried to pull back, hands fists on her sides. But then she wrapped her arms around her, parting her lips to let her in. But when she heard footsteps, she quickly came to her senses and pushed the girl back.

"Get out."

* * *

One thing about having a friend like Santana was that there was no way she could let the girl ignore something, especially something that had to do with her.

Rachel found it a blessing and curse that her friend was very perceptive, and could read people like the back of her hand through their behavior and mannerisms. One move, or look, could get her mind reeling.

Quinn has been calling her nonstop, blasting her phone with text messages. She stopped calling her names in front of everyone, keeping her eyes on her everywhere she went.

She hated it not because it made her uncomfortable, but because she wanted so badly to be back with her, and to go back to those days where the blonde made her feel like she was the stars. She wanted that, but knew that it wouldn't be that way. It would be the same cycle.

"_Hey."_

A nudge roused her from thinking, she leaned on her elbow, smiling when Santana seated herself next to her on her bed in her home. They used to study a lot in her place, but after a lot of pressuring, Rachel finally relented and allowed Santana to drive straight to Greenwich Heights.

Her house was nothing far from perfect, but it all seemed homely, just like it had been when she came those year ago with her father. Rachel's first meeting with Santana wasn't a good one, but she was past that, and was more interested in making better memories with her dear friend.

She watched Santana quietly grab a magazine, her eyes thoughtful as she looked over the pictures. Rachel knew that she wanted to know what was wrong with her. "Quinn had been calling me."

Santana looked up, looking so different and more beautiful without her make up and uniform. She had on a tank top over shorts, her hair pinned up in a loose bun. She seemed furious, but kept her mouth on check. "Oh yeah? And what the hell did she want?"

"Language."

The girl scoffed, "Sometimes I can't keep my anger on check. I'm still pissed at myself, you know?"

Rachel smiled, placing a small peck on Santana's cheek. "You shouldn't be now."

Santana hummed, no seeming convinced in any way, "What did she say anyway?"

"She came over to my place."

Now the girl's hand trembled, she tossed the magazine away and had her attention fully on Rachel, who couldn't help but look more at how Santana's lips seemed so full without gloss. "She told me she was going to a friend's place. She didn't say it was you."

Rachel smiled, "You're worse than my father."

"I'm not even at my worse yet."

The girl laughed out loud, throwing a leg over her friend's lap. She hugged Santana sideways, kissing her cheek again. "I appreciate your concern, Tana."

"Tana?"

"I actually like it."

Santana scoffed. "Okay. But don't call me that in public."

"Or else what?"

It was at that moment, that Rachel realized she was just inches away from Santana, and said those words whispering into the girls ear. She didn't move, but Santana soon pulled her closer, before crashing her lips unto hers. She tightened her hold, parting her lips as the other girl delve in, making her knees go weak. Hands were all over her, and she couldn't help but think of how damn lucky Brittany was when the other girl slipped her hand underneath her top.

Fingers brushed over them, thumbs swiping across her nipples. She bit a lower lip, her mind soon forgetting her surroundings. Santana pulled back, murmuring, "Wait a sec."

"What?" she asked, kissing the side of her mouth. But then a thought flashed across, "Oh...I'm sorry, I didn't realize..."

Santana frowned, "Realized what?"

"Well you and Brittany..."

She watched the girl sigh as if she was doing so for a toddler who didn't understand anything. Then Santana had her dark eyes fully on her, giving her the most beautiful smile she'd ever seen. "The last time I was with her was a month after I found your book. And we weren't even dating then. But I understand if you're still-"

"No." she said quickly.

There was small glint in Santana's eyes. She grinned mischievously, before breaking out into a laugh. She leaned forward to kiss Rachel's nose, wrapping her arms around her.

Santana smiled, "I'm glad.."

"Me too."

* * *

On the last day of the month before summer began, Rachel moaned softly on her girlfriend's bed, stroking dark hair beneath her. She watched Santana crawl up, settling her lips over hers, as she moved her hand down below. They've been at this for hours.

Nobody dared approach her like they used to. She knew that being with her girlfriend has something to do with it, but she didn't really care now. Quinn still tried to get to her, but she avoided the girl, not daring to tell her girlfriend about it. All that mattered was that there was someone that wanted her and wasn't afraid to show it.

With Quinn, she never felt in control. It seemed as thought even though being with her was enough, she was still some jerk off for her. The blonde was never concerned with how she felt. With Santana, she was often surprised whenever the girl made sure she was alright. She would whisper things, lips moving against her ears while she drove her wild, hands clamped over her wrists.

"What's that you're making?" she asked after hours in bed, looking over Santana's shoulder at the pop corn she was heating up for them. "No real food this time?"

"Ahaaaa!" Santana laughed. "You're lucky I'm even using the microwave."

"But I love your cooking!" she cried with a pout.

Once the popcorn was done, Rachel waited until Santana emptied the bag onto the bowl. Just when the girl go he hands on it, she swiped it and rushed into the living room, with Santana tagging along.

* * *

On Wednesday, she came to school early to get a start in her day. It felt so normal until 2:08pm hit. As she walked though the hallway to go to the choir room, she stopped when she saw a large crowd in the hallway near the choir room.

There were girls cursing judging from the noises from the middle of the crowd. Everything else was silent, except for the cursing that grew louder. She pushed herself through the crowd, stopping when she saw Brittany try to pull back Santana as she continued to yell.

Santana was angry, so angry that veins were popping out of her neck. Quinn was far worse, her eyes cold and words cutthroat. This was the girl she ran from. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing important, Rachel." Quinn said quietly.

"Bullshit!"

Rachel rushed over to pull Santana back, "Santana, what happened?" She brought her hands up to turn her face towards hers, not caring about what others were thinking. She knew that Santana wanted to say something badly, but couldn't say it in front of everyone.

She felt Quinn touch her arm, whirled around to ask, "What did you say to her?"

"Can we not talk about her right now?" Quinn asked, holding Rachel's hand. "It's you I'm worried about more, Rachel, not her."

"Oh that's enlightening." Santana said, sarcasm dripping from her voice when she pulled Rachel away in her arms. "Was she so fucking important to you back then?!"

Quinn reached around Rachel to shove Santana, who quickly let the brunette go and shoved the blonde back. It was all out then. The girls fought brutally. Santana slammed Quinn against the locker, before Quinn turned to punch her in the face, making her topple on the floor. When Santana was about to lung for her, Rachel was the first to push her arm, immediately wrapping her arms around her waist.

"Santana, calm down!"

The girl stopped, but she wrenched herself away from her girlfriend, who was left standing. She turned to Quinn, who had the whole school looking at her in shock. They already knew. "What just happened? What the hell did you say to her?!"

Quinn paused, eyes downcast as her hand took Rachel's into her own. "That she took you away from me."

"Quinn, she never took me away from you." Rachel said, pulling her hands away from Quinn's own. "I was the one who left myself. So if there's anyone you want to be angry at, it's me and not Santana."

She walked away, rushing to find Santana, who already from the school campus not too long ago, according to Brittany. Just when she was about to leave after school through the bus with Brittany, she was stunned when Santana's Caravan screeched into the parking lot. She didn't care that Santana asked Brittany to drive, and crawled all the way into the back to kiss her.

"I'm sorry,"

Rachel nodded, "It's okay, Tana."

They kissed again, armed wrapped around each other as Brittany mistakenly took the wrong way home. No matter, because it looked like they didn't mind the extra time getting home. Once they did, Rachel decided Santana's place was the best to spend the night in.

Maybe she and Santana won't last, even though she doubted that would happen, but she liked that she was moving on. Quinn was in the past, and should stay that way.

* * *

"You heard what happened?"

Her father stood in the living room, while Santana was preparing a mug of coffee in the kitchen area. She frowned at how he said this in a low voice, walking until she was close to him. "I went on a run yesterday. Quinn was kicked out of her house by her father."

"What? Why did he do that?"

He shrugged, looking as clueless as she did. "McKinley's connected to Greenwich. Someone told Mr. Fabray about Quinn. I tried to look, but I couldn't find her. Her father said was was out the door and took whatever stuff she had left. She's been gone last weekend, I heard."

Rachel sighed, turning away from him. Santana looked up, but she was just in time to see Rachel's beaming smile. The girl didn't notice anything wrong. "Come here."

Rachel did, wrapping her arms around the girl's waist. In a sense, she should be filled with grief, but she couldn't help but feel so relieved. Not too far away, Quinn stared quietly at the lake in Lover's Lane, tempted to jump inside.

But unlike Rachel, she never had the guts to, no matter how she wanted to leave this place. She couldn't. So she returned back to her car, and drove far, far, away.

Rachel never told Santana of what happened to Quinn.


End file.
